The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-09-30
Pen Picture of Lincoln.

vas a biting winters day that l
-eEau my journey 20 Springfield. y
t.riOus snow storm was raging, and on
-e" a-rival at the capital OF Illinois the
whole city seemed almost buried under
.,s White mantle. The streets were
U.aChaded, only here and there person
Uas seen hurryiug along the way, and
.Gs lace appeared as though suHstan-
-.s'iy uuinLabited. Fortunately, the
.urs x he storm had kept away the
.-a'. army OF Office seekers. and ! had
-le good fortune To aud Nr. Lincoln It
.Ee s.a,e house, with only Mr.. John G..
colay, his private secretary, for \
-ampauion. Mr.. T. d. Jones. the
sculptor, of Ohio, who was engaged in
-asiug bust OF ;hs president, walked
over from the hotel and introduced ne
Id III. Lincoln, who arose upon our en-
.Glce and received US with uuassumiug
courtesy. Telling him at once that my
it wss purely official, and that office
-ggkIng formed no part of uy mission,
gJasped my hand in the most cordial
..arhei IN a quizzing tone that as most
"a. lis visitors wanted something, and
Generally wanted t. pretty bad, he was
lad 20 find nobody in Ohio had any
uch itching.
his was the first time ] had seen Mr..
lincoln, and my first impression was
.la- he and Mr.. Nicolay were the two
lnneIiest men | had ever seen in one
.1em at the same time. The president
drst appeared 10 be all angles. His
.ght WAS great, his shoulders broad
I'D square, his legs, arms, body, fore
cad, nose, chin, seemd angular He
Nas dressed in an old fashioned black
s,jt, well worn dress coat, satin vest,
-1t very low in front, displaying q large
amount of shirt bosom, The shirt was
;rupulously clean, but 1t had been so
fteD washed and ironed that The edges
we're thereby well worn, and covered
with kind of stiff bristling fringe.
The buttons were few in front, and as
Mr.. Lincoln seated himself I'm a very
low chair, he disclosed a strong. power
full chest covered with hair like a bison.
His face was covered with q ssubby
beard of a few weeks growth, which
he explained by saying that he was
growing whiskeIs to improve the beauty
~ his appearance. His hair was long,
hick, sprlnkIed with gray, and thrown
Ick from high, broad, retreating fore
cad. The perceptive faculties were
unusually prominent, the eyebrows
7l-ongly marked and shaggy. The skin
" his face was brown, coarse, covered
with burrows and deep lines mouth
arge, eyes sparkling. brilliant and
thoughtful ; haIdsgaud feet enormous,
nd when seated his legs from the knees
own apparel out OF all proportion in
yngJh TO the rest of his person. He
eld in his hands pair of heavy, old
fashioned, silver bowed spectacles.
Altogether, his person and manner
was that Of an extremely awkward, W.
calmly man dressed in country fashion
~ his sunday clothes, visiting aw.y
from his daily work and anxious to get
back TO his ordinary occupation and
working garments. His face in respose
was that OF vigorous, original, intel
-ectual thinker, but cIoUIed with Pc
culiar gravity as near TO melancholy as
9 car he described. When he began to
ak the whole cuUI'euauce lighJned.
he eyes trinkled with fuu or shoue with
er'cusness. At times his laugh was SO
boIsterous, boy like aud genuine tuat Il
was positively infectious.